Giants rooting for Dallas on MNF at Washington
The Cowboys' Matt Cassel throws a pass against the Giants in the first half at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015 in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: Jim McIsaac
This is what it’s come to for the Giants: They became Cowboys fans.
At least they were Monday night when Dallas faced Washington, knowing that a win by the Giants’ fiercest rival would create a three-way tie atop the NFC East between the Giants, Philadelphia and Washington.
“I’m going to be cheering for Dallas hard,” Justin Pugh said in the postgame locker room. “We don’t have to play them again, so I’m hoping Dallas goes and handles some business.”
Not everyone was unabashedly on the bandwagon. Asked on Monday if he was rooting for Dallas, coach Tom Coughlin simply smirked. He could not, however, bring himself to verbally admit it. And Eli Manning said he’s hoping to get some help, but still feels a little icky pulling for those uniforms.
“I guess we’ve had to root for divisional teams before,” Manning said. “I don’t think I’ll be wearing a Matt Cassel jersey or anything, but we’ll be hoping they can pull out a win.”
Eli is OK
Manning had an X-ray on his right ankle after Sunday’s game, but he said he does not expect to miss any practice time this week as the Giants prepare for the Dolphins.
“It felt fine,” he said on Monday. “I get checked out all the time; bumps and bruises. You get the doctors on it, get on it early so you heal up quickly. They always take precaution and that’s why I got the X-ray, but no issues and it feels good.”
Manning said the injury occurred “somewhere in the third quarter.” It is not the same ankle on which he had offseason surgery before the 2014 season.
Giant steps
One ankle that could impact the Giants belongs to rookie left tackle Ereck Flowers. He was still on crutches on Monday, Coughlin said, after suffering a sprain on Sunday. Flowers missed one game earlier this season with an ankle sprain and Coughlin said this injury is similar . . . The Giants have allowed 3,774 passing yards this season and are on pace to become the first team in NFL history to allow more than 300 yards per game. They are currently at 314.5.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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